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The World Baseball Classic coming in March will pit some major league teammates against each other in the 16-nation tournament and that could happen for Orioles teammates Adam Jones and Pedro Strop. The 27-year-old right-hander will pitch for the Dominican Republic and he could wind up facing Jones at some point instead of watching him play center field behind him.

"Something like that would be fun," Strop said today when asked about the possibility of facing Jones in the tournament. "You are always in the clubhouse playing around with your teammates. Now he could be an enemy (he said laughing). But we all play to win."

Strop is excited and honored to get the chance to pitch for his home country.

How do you feel about this? I'm fine with Jones going, but I think I'd rather Strop not participate especially after he appeared fatigued towards the end of last year.

I think it's a big mistake for our pitchers to go. The Orioles get their pitchers in shape one way and WBC does something entirely different.They have to rush these guys to get them ready to compete, and I think that's dangerous.Strop says he's already been pitching in winter ball,but still...

mikezpen wrote:I think it's a big mistake for our pitchers to go. The Orioles get their pitchers in shape one way and WBC does something entirely different.They have to rush these guys to get them ready to compete, and I think that's dangerous.Strop says he's already been pitching in winter ball,but still...

osforlife wrote:Winter Ball and now the World Baseball Classic? I am really starting to worry about Strop's arm.

This is the guy I am most worried about taking a step back for 2013 and not becasue of his late season failure. The fact that he is throwing a baseball in competitive situations for almost a full year does. I wished the Os had advised him, "no" on the winter ball.

LA Detective wrote:This is the guy I am most worried about taking a step back for 2013 and not becasue of his late season failure. The fact that he is throwing a baseball in competitive situations for almost a full year does. I wished the Os had advised him, "no" on the winter ball.

He's pitched 9 innings in winter ball and being a reliever he will not be getting anymore work in the WBC than he would with the Orioles in spring training.

birdwatcher55 wrote:Strop, to my thinking, is not a huge ST priority. He was a bit erratic last year. I would much rather see O'Day or Matusz in that eighth inning role, and yes maybe even Hunter

I don't think anybody expects to see Strop in the 8th inning, at least until he proves he is himself again. I'd be very surprised to see Matusz in the bullpen. He wants to start and management wants him to start. He still has potential, maybe Rick Petersen can take his success from the bullpen, and translate that into the rotation. If Brian Matusz fails and has no future as a starter, then we can always use the bullpen as a fall back option. The bullpen Is pretty set in stone IMO: Jim Johnson, Darren O'Day, Troy Patton, Tommy Hunter, Luis Ayala, Pedro Strop, Steve Johnson/TJ McFarland.

Seafordeagles wrote:You HAVE to give Matusz a chance as a starter. If it doesn't work out we saw the job he did out of the bullpen.

I'm sure the Orioles will and maybe they need to do it to satisfy their investment/curiosity/what not but my opinion is the kid's niche will be the bullpen where he is simply electric in that seventh/eighth inning role. Just my two cents